Why the study?
COPD is associated with autonomic nerve dysfunction, but the effect of regular physical exercise on nonlinear measures of HRV in these patients required assessment.
Does physical exercise improve nonlinear parameters of heart rate variability in male patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?
Does physical exercise improve nonlinear parameters of heart rate variability in male patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?
A 3-month physical exercise program consisting of walking and breathing exercises significantly improves cardiac autonomic function, as measured by nonlinear HRV parameters, in male patients with COPD.
May support exercise for autonomic function in male COPD; hypothesis-generating and requires confirmation in RCTs.
Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is associated with autonomic nerve dysfunction. Nonlinear methods of heart rate variability (HRV) analysis have been gaining interest as a method of detecting changes in cardiac autonomic nerve function. Regular practice of physical exercise may cause improvement of this impaired autonomic nerve function. Objectives: To assess the effect of physical exercise on nonlinear measures of HRV analysis in male patients with COPD. Methods: This prospective interventional study was carried out in the Department of Physiology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Shahbag, Dhaka in 2018 on 60 diagnosed male COPD patients aged 40-75 years with disease duration of at least 5 years selected from the Department of Respiratory Medicine, BSMMU, Dhaka. Thirty patients underwent physical exercise (walking for 30 minute and pursed lip and diaphragmatic breathing 10 minuts)for 3 months in addition to standard treatment. Thirty (30) patients received only standard treatment for 3 months. For comparison, 30 age matched apparently healthy males were also enrolled. HRV data of all patients were recorded before and after 3 months of follow up. HRV data of healthy controls were recorded once at baseline. For assessing autonomic dysfunction, nonlinear parameters of HRV were recorded by Power Lab 8/35. For statistical analysis, paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test were done as applicable. Results: SD1, SD2 and SD1/ SD2 were found significantly lower in COPD patients compared to healthy controls at baseline. After 3 months of physical exercise, significant increment of these parameters occurred with a trend of improvement in cardiac autonomic nerve function in these patients. Conclusion: This study concluded that physical exercise can improve cardiac autonomic nerve dysfunction function in COPD patients. J Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2022, June; 17(1): 6-13
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Tasnim et al. (2022) studied this question.
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